Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1887-02-25
Pekin Ducks.
Rural New Yorker.

Is the raising of ducks profitableY
That will depend largely on having prop
er facilities for raising them. pond or
stream near by seems necessary for profit
able duck raising after the birds are
large enough to leave the coop, which
they should not be allowed to do until
they are about two weeks old. No one
raises ducks for the sale of the eggs in
the market; because in quality ducks
eggs are considered inferior to those of
the hen; more labor is required to obtain
them, because unless the birds are coop
ed every night they will drop their eggs
carelessly where it is often difficult or
impossible to find them; and because a
duck lays fewer eggs than hen, and
what she does lay are usually dropped
when eggs are cheapest. With proper
facilities and care, however, duck raising
is likely to become more popular. The
wild supply is growing smaller each
year, and in spite of the fashion of Law
ishing praise on the gaRey flavor of wild
ducks, the flesh of the young tame duck
fed artifcially away from water is really
better eating. Moreover, experts say
duck meat can be produced for less cest
per pound at ten weeks of age than any
other poultry meat. Then, again, with
little care and warm food, a tame duck
can be induced to lay earlier than wild
and the use of incubators enables poultry
men to have green ducks for market
during the holiday season, when wild
ducks can not be had. Young ducks at
ten weeks old can be made to average
seven pounds to the pair double the
weight of average chicken brothers of
that age, while the price is fully as high.
and the cost considerably less,
As to breeds, the Rouen, Aylesbury and
Pekin are generally considered the most
profitable. Opinions differ as to the com
parative superiority of these three: but
probably the Pekin has the most friends.
1t is a Chinese breed which has forced
itself into popular favor of late years.
The birds mature early, often beginning
to lay when orly five months old. They
are good foragers and are easily kept,
often thriving we'll with no water except
a tub or trough for bathing purposes. In
size the Rouen is the heaviest, the Ayles-
bury comes next, and the Chinese third;
but there is little difference between them,
fine, heavy specimens of the three breeds
ranging between eleven and thirteen
pounds. Some Insist that the average
Pekin is heavier than the average Ayles-
bury, and the hocks we have seen certain
ly seemed to justify this estimate; but
the Pekin is of yellovish or cream tings.
The following is the scale of points for
the Pekin duck and drake:
Head, long and finely formed; plumage,
white; eyes, deep laden hue; bill, of med
ium size, deep yellow, and perfectly free
from marks of any other color. Neck,
rather long and large in the drake, in the
duck of medium length: plumsge, pure
white or creamy white. Back, long and
broad; plumsge, white or creamy white.
Breast round and full; body, very long
and deep, and in adult birds approaching
the outlines of parallelogram; plumage.
white or creamy white throughout. Wings,
short and carried compac.ly and smooth
ly against the sides; plumage. white.
Tail. rather erect. the curled feathers in
the drake being hard and stiff; plumage,
white. Shanks, short and strong and of
reddish orange color: plumags, downy
and of faint creamy white.